IMPHAL, April 18: The State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who inspected the conditions of Imphal barrage and Singda Dam said that the Government would evict encroachers in the Singda dam area in the first week of May. This was informed through a press release from the Chief Ministers’ Secretariat.
Addressing the gathering at the irrigation rest house located at Singda after the inspection, the Chief Minister had said that the Government will not remain as mute spectators to the encroachers who have constructed houses in the vicinity of the dam for which compensation had already been awarded, it said.
The Chief Minister further appealed to the encroachers to leave the place on their own, it said.
Elaborating on the beautification process of the area, the Chief Minister continued that around 1 to 2 lakhs of tree saplings will be planted in the catchment area of the dam within May while saying that security personnel will be posted at the police outpost for protection of the dam, informed the statement.
The statement further added that the Singda dam over the Singda river around 20 km away north-east of Imphal was inaugurated in 1995.
Besides the supply of drinking water by the dam to areas of Greater Imphal, the project was taken up with an objective for provision of irrigation to the fields lying in Phayeng and Lamsang areas, it added.
As per the report of the IFFDC of the state the encroachers in the area of Singda Dam include 10 houses in the Singda village and five pan shops and 13 houses including a church and 2 pan shops at Ireng hillslope, the statement continued.
Besides the terraced cultivation (pamlou) on the Ireng hill slope covers 80% of the encroached areas, it continued.
Ahead of this, the Chief Minister had also visited and inspected the Imphal Barrage over the Imphal River at Oinam Sawombung of Imphal West, the statement continued.
Mention may be made that the said project inaugurated in 1984 supply water for irrigation but the supply of water had stopped from 2010 onwards as the gates of the barrage was broken, it said.
The statement said the replacement of gate number 2 of the barrage and the repairing of gate no. 1 and 5 at a total cost of Rs two corers from the non-plan fund being sanctioned will enable it to provide irrigation facilities to around 1200 hectares again.
On the other hand, speaking to media persons Chief Engineer IFDC Th Indramani, who accompanied the Chief Minister during the inspection said that an amount of Rs 16.80 corers as central assistance will be received from the central water resources under extension renovation and modernisation scheme and it will repair/renovate the barrage which is set to provide benefits to about 6400 hectares.
Forest and Revenue Minister Th Debendro Singh, IFDC Minister Ngamthang Haokip, PHED Minister I Hemochandra Singh and officials of other departments concerned also accompanied the Chief Minister during his visit while Agriculture Minister Md Abdul Nasir and MLA O Lukhoi were present when the Imphal barrage was inspected.